Virginia’s artisan trails are rich with history and beauty, and I’m not just talking about the stunning drive that gets you where you’re going. Regional flavor is highlighted in meticulously woven, painted, hammered, thrown and blown pieces. Every stained glass has a story to tell, as does every hand carved wooden treasure.

Virginia’s largest artisan network is ‘Round the Mountain, connecting 19 counties and four cities’ worth of studios, galleries, craft venues, farms, vineyards and other creative points of interest via 15 trails. More than 400 artisans and craftspeople are represented, with Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway in Abingdon serving as the primary entry point.

• Harmony Trail (Galax and Carroll Counties)
• Giles Arts and Adventure Trail
• Hidden Treasures Artisan Trail (Patrick County)
• Montgomery County Artisan Trail
• New River Artisan Trail (Radford and Pulaski County)
• White Lightning Artisan Trail (Franklin County)
• Countryside Artisan Trail (Bristol and Washington County)
• Woven Mountains and River Bends Artisan Trail (Grayson County)
• Smyth County Artisan Trail
• Mountain Crossroads Artisan Trail (Wythe and Bland Counties)
• Floyd County Trail
• Lonesome Pine Artisan Trail (Wise County and Norton)
• Clinch River Artisan Trail (Russell and Tazewell Counties)
• Wilderness Road Artisan Trail (Scott and Lee Counties)
• Rivers to Ridges Artisan Trail (Dickenson and Buchanan Counties)

In Nelson and Albemarle Counties, travel the Monticello Artisan Trail for an engaging, authentic experience with farmers and artisans of all kinds.

The HeART and Soil of the Shenandoah Valley includes artisans preserving traditional crafts and exploring modern innovations in Staunton, Augusta and Waynesboro, while the Western Highlands Artisan Trail takes you into Alleghany, Bath, Craig and Highland Counties for unique Appalachian cultural experiences.

Enjoy these artisan trail adventures for genuinely charming interactions and a great sense of Virginia hospitality. You’re truly going to LOVE what you find. Shall we sweeten the pot? Go ahead and enter to win one of three exclusive vacations to experience Southwest Virginia’s artisan trails, unique places to stay and more.

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Have you ever visited Abingdon, Virginia? Besides being a beautiful town with a world-renowned hotel and spa and the 34.3-mile Virginia Creeper Trail, Abingdon has big talent on stage at the Barter Theatre, the State Theatre of Virginia.

Plan a weekday or weekend visit to take in a show or two. Nearby hotels offer packages that include show tickets, although another notion is to purchase a deal from the Barter itself. Enjoy your show with extras thrown in. See below!

Summer 2013 Schedule

• May 2, 4, 5, 7, 9-11: “I’ll Never Be Hungry Again” - Gone With the Wind as a musical-comedy! Described as Mad magazine meets Scarlett O’Hara as performed by Monty Python.
• May 2-4, 8-9, 11: “Little Women” – Adapted pretty straight forward from Louisa May Alcott’s treasured novel of the same name.
• May 2, 4-5: “Half a World Away” – Noted as a timely story of the timeless desire to belong, this is a powerful play about the immigrant experience of a 17-year-old boy who has spent half his life in Burma and the other half in America.
• Select dates May through August – “The Blonde, the Brunette & the Vengeful Redhead” – A one-woman show about the day Rhonda went berserk at the mall when she sees her husband carrying on with the blonde at the jewelry counter.
• Select dates May through August – “Les Miserables” – One of the most loved musicals of all time, entirely in the Barter’s own production.
• Select dates May through August – “Southern Fried Funeral” – A big-hearted comedy about Southern family, manners and traditions. You’ll laugh out loud!
• Select dates June and July – “A Streetcar Named Desire” – One of the 20th century’s most enduring plays by Tennessee Williams, one of the south’s greatest writers.
• Select dates June and July – “The Gin Game” – Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner, “The Gin Game” is a game of gin rummy between two nursing home residents that drums up old heartaches and resentments.
• Select dates July and August – “Hanging Mary” – This is a brand new tale of a significant regional story – that of a circus elephant named Mary who meets an untimely end for murder. Only eight performances!
• Select dates August and September – “Good Ol’ Girls” – Love a strong southern woman? Don’t miss this musical quilted together by chart-topping country pop writers. Bring the girls and tap your toes!

Plan a Trip!

• $70 for two tickets, two gourmet desserts and two specialty coffees at Barter Theatre and Barter Theatre Cafe
• $85 for all of the above plus two meals at Barter Theatre and Barter Cafe
• $155 for two at The Martha - one night, two tickets, two three-course dinners at The Martha
• $165 for two at Holiday Inn Express - one night, two tickets
• $228-$466 for two at Summerfield Inn – one or two nights, two tickets, afternoon refreshments, gourmet breakfast

Discover more historic Virginia theatres at Virginia.org/Theatres.

LOVE is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. Virginia is for Lovers.
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Virginia is a treasure trove of beautiful architecture, historic villages, thriving arts districts and culinary hot spots. If you’ve never visited, you’re going to LOVE it.

Portsmouth Lightship Museum

There’s only one way to explore a town and that’s on foot. Charlottesville‘s downtown mall is a great place to spend the day.  This open air pedestrian mall is home to more than 120 shops and 30 restaurants, settled into historic buildings. Patio dining is plentiful, as are the arts with the nTelos Wireless Pavilion and the Paramount Theater on either end.

The Elizabeth River is a beautiful highlight to the waterfront town of Portsmouth. Families enjoy Portsmouth for the many museums - Naval Shipyard, Lightship Portsmouth, Children’s Museum of Virginia, Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and others. Find plenty of dining options in Olde Towne along the 12 Historic Squares of High Street.

If you’re going to Southern Virginia, make sure South Boston and Danville are on your list. You’ll love the upscale dining of Bistro 1888 and the beautiful architecture of Millionaire’s Row. Danville is dubbed “City of Churches” – go see why.

Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood is where you’ll find beautiful architecture and historic St. John’s Church, the site of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” oration. See that site and a great deal more when you walk the 6.2-mile Richmond Liberty Trail, but not before you enjoy lunch at The Roosevelt where the food is “an untraditional celebration of the food of the south.”

May is the perfect time to get away to Waynesboro if you love the old school flavor of Virginia. The Waynesboro Motorsports Show features classic muscle cars, as well as the Rolling Thunder motorcycles. Conway Twitty’s ’56 T-bird, Austin Powers’ Shaguar and Alice Cooper’s ’57 Chevy will be on display. It’s happening May 11 and Basic City Luncheonette is the perfect ’50′s style hangout for lunch.

Newport News has a great deal to offer families and couples alike. Do a little shopping, get your arts fill at Yoder Barn, Peninsula Community Theatre or the Ferguson Center, and take in some history, too. Huntington Park‘s 60 acres includes a public beach on the James River. You can easily spend a weekend or more in Newport News.

Watch for our next installment of Beautiful Virginia Neighborhoods for more travel ideas, or go to Virginia.org to plan your trip today.

LOVE is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. Virginia is for Lovers.
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You thought Virginia State Parks were all about camping and being outdoorsy, didn’t you? Well, they are, but there are historical features that might not have made it on your radar before. Like mansions. Come explore!

Jones-Stewart Mansion at Chippokes Plantation State Park

Chippokes Plantation State Park is located opposite Historic Jamestowne on the James River, so it should be no surprise that this plot of land has been farmed since 1619. Actually, it’s one of the oldest continually farmed plantations in the country.

The antebellum Jones-Stewart mansion is the centerpiece of the historic area at Chippokes, which also includes outbuildings and a Farm and Forestry Museum. The mansion is open for tours on weekends April through October and other select dates.

Special Events:
~ Steam and Gas Engine Show, June 1
~ Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival, July 20-21

The Karlan Mansion at Wilderness Road State Park in Ewing is an 1870s beauty available for special event rentals. The home was constructed from bricks made on the property. A museum room inside contains letters between Robert Ely and his wife Susan, concerning the construction of the home. Karlan has undergone several renovations over the years. The fireplaces and a pie safe are all that are original to this grand estate.

Interior of the Southwest Virginia Museum.

Special Events:
~ Raid at Martin’s Station, May 10-12
~ Fall Encampment at Martin’s Station, October 11-13
~ Wilderness Road Heritage Festival, October 12
~ Pumpkins in the Park, October 25-26

Bel Air Mansion at Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster is the only state park mansion visitors can sleep in. The Colonial style Bel Air was built in 1942 by an architectural historian with Colonial Williamsburg. The home is available for event rentals as well as overnight accommodation, but is only open for tours by appointment.

Special Events:
~ Bay Seafood Festival, September 6

The Southwest Virginia Museum at the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park in Big Stone Gap is actually an 1890s Victorian stone mansion. The museum exhibits tell the tales of the region from 1700s pioneering to 1800s mining.

Special Events:
~ Gathering in the Gap Music Festival, May 25

See what other secrets and special events Virginia State Parks have in store at Virginia.org.

LOVE is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. Virginia is for Lovers.
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Winchester, Virginia was the home of Virginia Hensley, the woman the world knows as country music legend Patsy Cline.

Cline was the first solo female member of the Grand Ole Opry (1960) and the first female Country Music Hall of Fame inductee (1973). Her hit song, “Crazy,” was written by Willie Nelson and is still the number one jukebox hit of all time.

Patsy Cline’s home, now the Patsy Cline Historic House, is where she lived, slept and spent her “prime years” (1948-53) while pursuing her career. Visitors enter her home, rather than a museum, to find the cupboards stocked with Quaker Oats and other staples in vintage containers.

A 30- to 45-minute guided tour shows off Cline’s clothes, jewelry, newspaper articles and more in rooms with original furnishings, set up just the way any home would be. Purchase a souvenir from the gift shop and be sure to take a seat on the front porch glider for a photo reminiscent of Patsy’s (above).

Hear from the people in Winchester who knew Patsy Cline the best, including her brother-in-law Mel Dick, by watching the video below.

To explore and learn more about Patsy Cline, check out Crazy for Patsy Cline – an itinerary for those wanting to explore all things Patsy in Winchester.

LOVE is at the heart of every Virginia vacation. Virginia is for Lovers.
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